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ImpactTO—more than the sum of its parts
I t started with a ballroom, 43 executive directors of Toronto Jewish organizations, and 187 local philanthropists. This describes the first ImpactTO event, which brought together many Jewish Institutions. Chaim Rutman, the visionary behind this gathering last spring, had one clear goal: fostering collaboration and weaving together the Jewish organizations across the GTA. “It was like being on an escalator,” says Maidy Ehrlichster, Team Lead at ImpactTO, “forward movement was unavoidable. There was a room full of lit-up people turning their ideas into buzzy progress.” Patrons and community activists who had vague, undefined objectives suddenly found fertile ground to nurture those objectives into something sturdy. And alive. “All people passionate about servicing the Jewish community and inspiring the next generation of heritage builders were there. It was delicious!” The problem ImpactTO comes to solve is one that’s familiar to most everyone across Jewish communities-exhausted money veins and ever-expanding demands. Previously padded budgets no longer cover the steady increases of the past few years. The prototypical Jewish donor is a formidable force within our communities. Eager to help, passionate about Jewish preservation and galvanized by a sense of mission, they’re not
and ensuring institutions can thrive,” Aubrey explains.
afraid of writing big cheques to meet big needs. But following the complexities of each institution’s particular cash leaks is time consuming. “Before ImpactTO, many organizations within the Jewish community were working in silos, struggling with similar challenges - rising costs, inefficient marketing, and limited access to resources,” says Aubrey Freedman, Steering Committee Secretary of ImpactTO. “Executive Directors faced increasing pressure to sustain operations, but there was little collaboration between institutions, which limited their ability to leverage each other’s strengths.” That was the pre-Impact landscape. But the terrain is changing. As a collective of 43 organizations, ranging from food banks to financial aid, from heritage building to community centers, from childcare to hospice, ImpactTO brings these separate orbits together to create a Venn diagram of more efficient and effective solutions. “Our mission is to strengthen the Jewish community by fostering collaboration, pooling resources,
The nuts n’ bolts of the operation? • negotiating better service rates • marketing • health and life insurance policies for community workers • grant writing
• endowment infrastructure • collaborative new projects
“Too many institutions expressed frustration over missing out on government grants with their low ROI to justify using already strained resources,” says Chaim. A new gateway for patrons looking to revitalize the historic kehillah in its modern manifestation, ImpactTO is flush with promise. Aubrey pitches the long game. “The Jewish community thrives when we work together. We can’t afford to let institutions struggle when collective action can provide strength, efficiency, and long-term sustainability.” It’s all about streamlining. And Jewish continuity. “Now more than ever, it’s essential that we unify to support one another and build a stronger, more resilient community.”
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